The present invention relates in general to packaging containers and in particular to a knock-down container assembly for packaging and containing ice-cream products.
Packaging products for containing ice-cream products such as ice-cream, ice-milk, sherbet and the like, of course have been in existance for as long as such ice-cream products have existed. Of the several varied forms of such containers, the two most widely known and used forms are the conventional half-gallon and pint rectangular packages using tongue in slot closure means and the half-gallon quart or pint cylindrical container utilizing a circular cover. Unfortunately, these two predominant types of ice-cream products packages have associated with them several disadvantages which the present invention alleviates so as to be an improvement thereon.
For example, the standard rectangular package using a tongue flap and a slotted flap with nested flaps thereunder serves to seal the ice-cream most effectively when the ice-cream container itself is full, since the nested flaps are in closed sealing proximity to the actual contents of the package. However, when the package is repeatedly opened and shut and the contents are withdrawn there is a tendency for the nested flaps to "gap" in the absence of actual ice-cream sealed against it, so as to let in air and other impurities which tend to either "crystallize" the ice-cream or have undesirable affects in the way of odor, contamination and the like on the remaining ice-cream product left in the container.
Yet additional disadvantages are encountered in the utilization of cylindrical type ice-cream product containers which are most notably utilized with "custom" ice-cream products. Further, these circular cylindrical containers are not readily adaptable to existing packaging machinery of the type most ordinarily used in the ice-cream industry, namely machinery produced by such companies as Anderson Brothers Corporation of Rockford, Illinois. Accordingly, the filling and formation operations associated with them are more costly. Because of their inefficient utilization of space in manufacturer's finished goods storage, refrigerated delivery trucks and retail display cabinets, they create increased costs in inventorying and delivery expenses. These round containers, for the most part, are not formed during the actual on-line production but rather need to be nested and are not adaptable to preformation. In cases where in-plant preformation of non-nested cylindrical containers is possible a major capital committment is necessary. Additionally, the available rectangular shaped containers of the conventional type do not have a separate cover to effectively reseal the container while the round cylindrical containers fail to utilize positive cover securement means which reduce the inadvertent separation of the cover and the carton or container portions to in turn reduce contamination of the ice-cream products contained therein. Nor do the conventional rectangular containers lend themselves to effectively reducing the crystallization process of remaining ice-cream contents in their respective containers.
With this in mind, it becomes an object of the present invention to provide an effectively sealed ice-cream product container capable of accepting standard measures of ice-cream products in the half-gallon or one-quart sizes (by retaining the standard rectangular dimensions of the container for conventional packaging machinery while other reducing the height of the container).
It is a further object of the invention to eliminate gapping of the container closure means so as to more efficiently seal the ice-cream product contents so as to reduce crystallization and contamination.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a container assembly which is directed to and readily adaptable for in-line formation and filling on existing conventional packaging machinery in order to reduce costs associated therewith. Further, it is an object of the present invention to provide an efficient container for such products which facilitates the effort and reduces costs involved with keeping an inventory of such products as well as with shipping such products by reducing the amount of required space to keep an inventory or for shipping. In so doing it is further an object to provide such a container which stacks and stores better, which needs not be nested, and which utilizes cover means which can be formed on-line rather than requiring preformation before the packaging and shipping operation.
These and other objects of the invention shall become apparent in light of the present specification.